Sounding device



Sept. 17, 1946,. J. A. JOWETT SOUNDING DEVICE Filed Aug. 41, 19'45Patented Sept. 17, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 407,702 SOUNDI NGDEVICE Joli-11A. Jowett, Scottsville, N. Y. Application August 11, 1943,Serial No. 498,437

2 Claims. 1 My invention relates to a sounding device or bell,particularly a sounding device adapted for use at dinners or meetings,for example, for calling the meeting to order.

An object of my invention is to provide a sounding device or bell ofsimple construction which is more convenient to use.

Another object of my invention is to provide a bell structure which isequipped with a hand actuated striker within easy reach of the user.

My invention further contemplates the provision of a bell in which meansis provided to cut off the vibration or sounding of the bell, ifdesired.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be set forth in theclaims and will be apparent from the following description, when takenin connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view, partially in section, showing the sounding device orbell construction of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1 with the bell in a closeradjusted position with respect to the base or support.

It is the usual practice at meetings of various kinds to provide thepresident or the person who conducts the meeting with a bell or othersounding device which is normally struck by a gavel or wooden hammer forthe purpose of sounding the bell. Quite frequently the gavel ismisplaced or not within convenient reach of the user so as to causedelays when it is desired to call the meeting to order or to restoreorder.

The sounding device or bell of my invention I preferably comprises abell l I of metal or any suitable material. While I have shown a hell itwill, of course, be appreciated that other shapes of sounding devicesmay be used. The bell has a rod l2 upon which it is supported, the upperend of the rod 12 being threaded and extending through the top of thebell for the reception of a nut I3 which may be ornamental, if desired.

The lower end of the rod 12 is threaded, as shown at M, and is adaptedto extend through an opening It provided in a base or support ll. Thebase may be of any suitable shape and may be of wood or other desiredmaterial. Threaded on the rod is a pair of nut and washer assemblies l8and I9 which when tightened against the base, clamp the base betweenthem so as to support the bell rigidly in an upright position.

Carried on the rod [2 is a bumper 2| of rubber or any other suitablematerial against which a striker or hammer 22 is adapted to normallyrest. The striker 22 may be of metal and may be connected by a rod 23 toa lever 24 which extends outward beneath the lip 26 of the bell, asshown in the drawing. If desired the parts 22, 23 and 24 may be a singlepiece construction with the outwardly projecting end 2'! constituting afinger piece for actuating the striker.

Mounted on the base or sup-port I1 is a bracket 28 which has a pair ofarms 29 through which a pin 3| extends. the lever 24 and constitutes apivot for the lever. Normally the striker assembly is weighted so thatit will freely swing about the pivot with the striker 22 in engagementwith the bumper 2|. However, I preferably provide the striker assemblywith a spring 32, one end of which engages an element 34 provided on thelever 24 and the other end of which bears against the base. Theintermediate portions of the spring are coiled about the pin 3|, asshown most clearly in Fi 2, so that the spring will urge the strikerassembly into the position shown in Fig. 1.

Normally the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1 and when the userdesires to call a meeting to order he merely presses 0n the finger piece21 as many times as desired until order is obtained. It will beappreciated that the bell when struck will resound and continue tovibrate perhaps long after it is desired that the bell should cease toresound. Quite frequently the user of a bell with an ordinary gavelsounds the bell and then places his hand on the bell in order to preventit from continuing to resound. With my bell I have provided novel meansfor doing this automatically when desired.

To accomplish this the clamping nut I8 is loosened and threaded upwardon the rod and the clamping nut l9 shifted upward to engage the bottomof the base or support. With the parts in this adjusted position asshown in Fig. 3 the bell is moved closer to the base so that the lowerlip 26 of the bell is engaged by the top surface of the lever 21 whenthe parts are in their normal position as shown in Fig. 3.

The spring serves to press the lever tightly against the lip of the bellso as to cause the bell to cease to vibrate. In practice, the userpresses downward on the lever 2! which causes the bell to be struck. Hethereupon releases the finger piece 2? and the spring returns the partsto the position shown in Fig. 3, with the lever tightly pressed intoengagement with the lip of the bell. Thus the bell is sounded once andimmediately The pin also extends through 4 the vibration or continuedsounding of the bell is cut oil. Of course, the user may strike the bellany desired number of times.

While I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention, itwill be appreciprising, in combination, a base, a bell havin a lowerlip, an element for supporting the bell from the base, a lever havin afulcrum on the base and having a manually actuated end extending beneaththe lip, a striker attached to the opposite end of the lever, a springnormally urging said striker out of engagement with the bell, said bellbeing shiftable toward and from the base so that 4 when shifted towardthe base the manually actuated end of the lever will engage the lip ofthe bell under the influence of said spring to cut oil the sounding ofthe bell after being struck.

2. A device of the character described comprising, in combination, abase, a bell having a lower lip, an element for supporting the bell fromthe base, a lever having a fulcrum on the base and having a manuallyactuated end extending beneath the lip, a striker attached to the otherend of the lever, a spring normally urging said striker out ofengagement with the bell, and means enabling the bell and said manuallyactuated end to be shifted with respect to each other so that saidmanually actuated end will engage the lip under the influence of saidspring when desired to cut off sounding of the bell after being struck.

JOHN A. J OWE'I'I.

